The Duck and I just saw Michael Moore’s “Sicko” on Saturday, and I still haven't recovered. I laughed, I cried, I got mad, and I wanted to change the system. The movie clearly showed that not only do people often fall through the cracks in our pay-to-play healthcare system, but that is the norm. I've always thought of healthcare as a gamble where I was taking the safe bet. Sure, it would be cheaper to pay out of pocket for the few, if any, visits to the doctor I make every year instead of paying a premium every month plus copays. However, at the back of my mind is the fear-- what if something catastrophic happened, and I didn't have insurance? What if I landed tens of thousands of dollars in debt? Well, now I realize that healthcare does not prevent that at all. Plus, now I know that if I am sick, doctors and hospitals may not treat me to the best of their abilities because it would be too expensive. So what am I paying for every month again?
Today is the fourth of July. I don’t like fireworks, barbeques, or sports (gasp!). However, I have my own idea of a great, festive way to spend the day.
In our household, it is traditional to make blueberry pancakes with raspberry sauce, a red-white-and-blue way to start the day. However, the temperatures are going to go in the triple digits today, so we are opting for a straweberry, banana, and blueberry smoothie instead. It looks a lot more festive before it is blended, so that is the time to photograph.
Since today is celebrating the signing of the Declaration of Independence, I think it would fitting to read it. I also plan to listen to a current political speech because part of being a good citizen is keeping up with the issues facing our nation and world. I think Howard Zinn is a good choice because he talks about history and it’s influence on us today. He was a history professor that didn’t want to live in the past, but take an active part in making history. As a speaker he is subdued but powerful, humourous and poignant, and very well-spoken. I always enjoy talks by him.
Voting is a serious responsibility. I think all the "Get out the vote" campaigns are great, but people need to do more than turn up on election day-- they need to spend time and effort researching the candidates and issues before picking up that ballot. It can be a lot of work, but it is necessary. To get educated before the election in November, I use a variety of sources.
Internet
from Democracy Now!
In news on Capitol Hill, the Senate approved an overhaul of the nation's bankruptcy laws in move that will make it harder for Americans to rid themselves of debt by filing for bankruptcy. The law changes had been sought by the banking and credit card industries for the past decade. The House is expected to approve the measure next month and President Bush has vowed to sign the bill. Democrats unsuccessfully sought to soften the bill's impact on single parents, the unemployed and individuals facing large medical bills
Here are some highlights from a related article posted on Reuters today.
Bush applauded the vote and urged the House to act quickly on the bill, the second item on a White House legislative agenda to overhaul the legal system. Congress passed the first item -- limits on class action lawsuits -- last month. "By reforming the system with this commonsense approach, more Americans -- especially lower-income Americans -- will have greater access to credit," Bush said in a statement. Bush would like to follow the class action and bankruptcy bills with curbs on asbestos lawsuits and caps on medical malpractice awards. Lenders such as credit card companies and retailers have lobbied for the bankruptcy changes for years, arguing it is too easy for people to game the system and walk away from debt. Critics charge the measure is too harsh and rewards lenders who have encouraged consumers to take on higher debt burdens. "Why shouldn't they have to repay some of their debts?" demanded the bill's sponsor Sen. Charles Grassley, an Iowa Republican. "It's only fair to those who do pay their debts." Opponents said most people in bankruptcy court were there because they faced crushing medical bills, the loss of a job or other calamities, not because they were spendthrifts. The Republican-majority chamber rejected a hodgepodge of Democratic attempts to soften the bill's impact on the poor and families with children. Senators accepted one change exempting disabled veterans from the means test, and another exempting some individuals from credit counseling requirements. The Republican leadership repeatedly warned that any major amendments could hurt the bill's chances in the House. However, the Senate passed an amendment that critics said would help millionaires shelter assets in special trusts. It would permit creditors to reach the assets only if it is shown the debtor created the trust with intent to defraud. Five Republicans backed an attempt to maintain a ban on banks advising bankrupt companies if they had been their advisers prior to bankruptcy. But the amendment failed, 44-55.
Yes, it is nice to see that our lawmakers are looking out for us. It warms my heart to know that the credit card companies won't be losing out on all that dough. I mean, they do make enough in fees to cover all the bankruptcy losses and more, and most people are going bankrupt because of medical bills, but still, it is nice to see our lawmakers working hard for the little guy. See how your senators voted here.
PBS has a great program on their website called A Class Divided. It is an older episode of Frontline, and shows an exercise in discrimination that a third grade teacher in Illinois named Jane Elliott created in 1968 for her students.
I also really enjoyed the interview with Ms. Elliott where she talks about how she is continuing the program today for adults, and how unfortunately, this exercise is still as necessary today as it was in 1968.
"We need to stop inculcating in our students the belief that only white is right, the belief that there's only one right way to worship, the belief that males are superior, the belief that the U.S.
This article is a refreshing editorial that says what I think we all intuitively know-- education is important because it teaches the adults of tomorrow. That said, we are not doing an adequate job of preparing those future Americans. One of the most surprising things for me about this article was the author-- Bill Gates. Yep, that one.
This issue is pretty big and complicated, so when I find clear, comprehensible info, I want to keep it.
Here is an article by Molly Ivins that references the different scenarios, and walks you through what the program would actually entail, like loans.
Campus Progressive.org has a whole page of informative links on this topic as well.
So we have a huge deficit, and it is growing by the day. Times are tough, and our representatives are doing something about it. Yes, it's that time again, appropriations and whatnot, and don't you worry-- they've got us covered.
For instance, the $388 billion budget made necessary cuts in spending for useless things like education, environment and health. Howard Dean notes that
"Pell grants will become unavailable for 85,000 students that were receiving them and another 1.2 million students will have their Pell Grant funding decreased. On the other hand, the bill appropriates $2 million to buy a presidential yacht.Farmers lose over $400 million of soil conservation money. On the other hand, the bill funds the American Cotton Museum in Texas.
I get a phishing attempt in my mailbox about twice a week. I'm going to begin compiling a list of methods to deal with the phenomenon.
First off, you can report them to antiphishing.org. What good that really does, I don't know. They don't seem to reference any action such as reporting the miscreant to the FBI. There's also a list of resources over at www.edu-cyberpg.com for dealing with Internet fraud in general.